There Could Be Worse Influences
by JayBirdJoker
Summary: Bardock comes back home to spend time with his very attractive mate, even if Gine's attention might be split between him and his new son. As long as he didn't have to pay attention to that ball of hair himself, he was fine. Raditz hates this new stranger called 'his father' and wants him gone while Gine just wants the two to get along.
1. Chapter One

Raditz had only been out of incubation for about four months but he thought he had a pretty good idea of how things worked in his housing unit. Every morning just before sunrise he'd be roused from sleep by his mother in the bed that they shared so that they could make breakfast together. She'd show him several different meats and speak of how to prepare each one and what impact different spices and sauces would make. She'd show him how long to cook something and how to know it was ready. The two would then eat all the food they prepared and get some training in before she went to work. During this time, his mother would show him how to fight because they were a warrior race and fighting was in their blood. His mother was very careful not to hit him too hard and it was because of this that Raditz found it so bizarre she wanted him to hit her as hard as he could. She _insisted_ she could take it but he couldn't find it in himself to even _try_ to harm her, especially when she was so gentle with him.

His mother's name was Gine and she was the best mother he'd ever known, even if she was the _only_ other Saiyan he'd ever met so far. When he'd look out the window he'd see other Saiyans and discovered they were much, much bigger than his own mother and when he asked her about it, she'd said she was small for a Saiyan and wasn't as tough as them. Raditz thought she was pretty tough and told her so, but she just laughed and said it was because he was only a baby. One day he'd be bigger and tougher than her too.

So Raditz figured if he was going to be into this fighting and warrior blood stuff, he'd do it so he could fight for her. He couldn't fight his mother to get stronger since he didn't want to hurt her. That meant he'd have to go fight the bigger and tougher Saiyans. Unfortunately, Gine wouldn't let him go outside and challenge them.

"You're not quite strong enough, Raditz," she'd said. "I don't want you going out there until you can show me how strong you are."

So while she was at work he'd stay in their unit alone, watching the time so he could make his lunch and occasionally doing 'workouts' he'd spotted Saiyans outside doing. Other times he'd run at high speeds around the unit, knocking things over and seeing how fast he could backtrack and keep them from touching the ground. Usually he failed at this but it was still a lot of fun just causing the chaos.

When Gine came home, Raditz would usually jump into her arms because waiting at home alone was _boring_ and (as stated before) she was the best mother ever and greeting her like that would always make her laugh. The only time he wouldn't jump in her arms was when she was carrying dinner over her shoulder. When he asked where the food came from, she told him that she actually worked with food and he promptly asked if he could go to work with her but she said no because Raditz would undoubtedly eat her out of business.

When she got settled in and cleaned up whatever mess he made, they'd prepare dinner together and after eating, would train once again. It ended with Gine in bed, Raditz curled up at her side, warm and full of food.

All in all, Raditz considered this to be a pretty good, routine life.

It all changed when a bigger, stronger, male Saiyan walked through the door like he owned the place.

* * *

' _I own this place,'_ Bardock thought to himself as he stood in front of the door to his housing unit. It'd been about eight months since he'd last been here and he happened to know he had a very, very attractive mate living in there now. Having someone to come home to was a feeling he'd never gotten used to over the years and though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, he was always nervous about it. _'Just walk in and act normal. There's no big party and no battle to prepare for. This is your home and honestly your mate is probably at work right now… Shit, should I do something for_ _ **her**_ _when she comes home?'_

Bardock huffed and brought a hand to his forehead. _Gine_. His Gine. They were mates, actual mates like the royal family. Never in a million years would Bardock have thought he'd give up random good fucks for one woman, yet here he was and he couldn't imagine life without her. She wasn't even a normal Saiyan! She couldn't fight, was fucking terrible at killing and he'd stuck his neck out for her so many times he had the scars to prove it. He'd never been hurt so badly so quickly before she'd joined his squad and fucked everything up by stirring some dormant protective instinct he had.

One could say he'd just felt sorry for her and mated with her so he'd have the power to force her to quit the squad and stay at his home but that wasn't true at all. Gine wasn't strong in battle but she was strong in spirit with more than enough room for compassion. Bardock may have gotten his ass handed to him when he'd save her but she'd always be there to lick his wounds for him. Not only him, either. Their entire squad. There was something about her healing the wounded and not harming anyone that was… charming. Was it honor? Bardock didn't know much about that, but if it came down to it he'd be forced to consider that soldiers took lives away while healers saved them and his mind and chest would become tight and tangled and only Gine could soothe it.

Good, pure, Gine.

' _When the hell did I turn into such a fucking sap, just walk through the damn door already.'_

Bardock pushed the door open and was immediately greeted with Gine's scent as well as something… not. His first, immediate, thought was that it was another male and almost punched himself for the brief pang in his chest. He shut the door behind him and inhaled the scent again. It was… familiar in a way, but he couldn't place it. The only Saiyans he hung around with were his squad and he knew they had no business being in his house.

"Hey, you can't be in here!"

Bardock jerked back at the young, unfamiliar voice and his eyes darted around for its source. The place was a mess which wouldn't be unusual if Bardock had been living there for the past few months but it had only been _Gine_ and she usually kept things pretty organized. There was also what looked like a lunch being prepared on the countertop and he could see a small set of armor had been placed on a table as though it had just been cleaned. It was _much_ too small to be Gine's and Bardock could feel something tickling the back of his mind.

He looked down.

In front of him, barely reaching his knees was a ball of hair with a Saiyan child attached to it.

"What the fuck?"

The child's tail was lashing behind him as he gave him a surprisingly venomous glare. "This is my home! Get out, _now!_ "

Bardock continued to stare at him dumbly for a minute, then he shook his head to get his brain moving. He knew this child.

' _This is_ _ **my**_ _kid!'_

Three years ago he learned Gine had gotten pregnant and had placed their child in incubation as she continued to fight in his squad. The two were still in the beginning stages of their relationship but pregnancies weren't really a big deal ever since they learned about keeping children in incubation until they could take care of themselves. There was no expectation attached to a Saiyan child. Bardock himself never knew his parents and had come out of it alone, forced to fight to survive since the beginning.

Gine, of course, was different. Her mother and father had claimed her and her father ended up raising her alone when her mother died in battle. While Bardock knew nothing about raising a family, Gine did and her incubating baby was a constant distraction. Bardock had to force her admit that she was worried for her baby and he had been anxious to know exactly what part she had expected him to play in it. Gine was quick to assure him that she didn't expect him to do anything and that she wanted to raise the child and train it like her father did for her. Bardock let her leave the squad and she took a job at Meat Distribution so she could provide for her child without leaving the planet.

The thought of Gine alone on Planet Vegeta became Bardock's own distraction. Rather than taking missions back to back until his body was too broken to fight as he'd always done, he found himself always returning between missions to see her, something his squad noticed and didn't understand at all. Gine was always happy to see him and revealed that she was saving her credits to buy her own home to raise her son since her father couldn't stand the thought of having a Saiyan child around.

Without thinking about it, Bardock contributed his own credits and purchased a home himself, insisting she live there while he was on missions. Knowing she had a dwelling that belonged to him gave him peace of mind and he was able to fully commit to missions again. Gine was delighted when he still visited and Bardock realized that owning a home was a pretty good deal with the shelter and privacy. At first he'd only linger on the roof but seeing the small, beautiful Saiyan asleep in bed all alone through the window encouraged him to join her so often he couldn't imagine bedding anyone else.

As time went on and Bardock went through missions to get stronger, Gine would speak of how soon she'd have a small, constant reminder of her time with him in the form of their child. At first, Bardock was confused as to why she spoke as if he was going to _die_ until he realized she expected either Bardock to kick her and the brat out or for Bardock to leave and never come back. The thoughts had never crossed his mind and he was surprised with himself. He assured her that this was _her_ place as much as his and it'd belong to their kid as well. He recalled how her parents had been bonded and lived together and couldn't see anything negative about it.

It was the middle of the night while they were in bed when he asked her to mate with him.

"Normal Saiyans don't do that," she reminded.

"You ain't normal," he said. "And I'm too badass to be considered normal. This mating shit sounds like a good deal."

"The baby… you'll be claiming he's yours as well."

Bardock tilted his head. That was true, he'd be coming home to a wailing brat as well as his hot mate. He was sure he'd be a terrible father but perhaps it was like fighting and he could train for it. He could teach the brat to fight and defend himself as well. Give him the head start that Bardock had been denied. He felt his tail brush against Gine's thigh as she stared at him with worried eyes.

"Brat could be a good sparring partner," he said, rolling on top of her but being sure to keep his full weight off.

Gine giggled into the base of his throat causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand straight. "All you think of is fighting."

"What's the brat's name, anyway?"

"I was thinking of Raditz," Gine said.

Bardock hummed. "Not bad. I think I could stand having one of those things if its named that."

"It's called a son, Bardock."

"Whatever."

His _son,_ Raditz, was now right in front of him. Bardock counted the months in his mind and realized he must have been out for around four or five months now. He was a sturdy child, strong and well-fed with long spiky hair that went to his knees, he had limp, stringy bangs that he guessed would stiffen up as he got older and fierce eyes that still wouldn't stop glaring at him.

Bardock tapped the button on his scouter to get a reading on his power level.

94.

Not _terrible_ , but nothing exactly impressive either.

"Get _out_!" Raditz shouted again. This time Bardock noticed his legs were trembling just a little. The brat had no idea who he was but must have identified him as a very powerful enemy and was terrified.

"No chance, this is _my_ house," Bardock growled, taking a step forward to see how he'd respond.

Raditz blanched and stumbled back, falling on his ass and causing Bardock to grimace. He went forward to haul his kid back on his feet but Raditz hissed and snapped at his hand, teeth barely grazing Bardock's fingers.

"Stay away!" Raditz shouted, standing up on his own and lowering himself into a fighting position. "I'm warning you, I can fight!"

Bardock thought of Gine and huffed. "I doubt it."

Raditz launched himself forward, ramming his head directly into Bardock's chest. Surprised, he grunted and took a step back. The hit wasn't hard enough to cause any damage but he honestly hadn't expected the kid to actually try and attack. Raditz landed at his feet and darted between his legs. As Bardock made a move to turn around and see where he went, Raditz charged back at him, hitting right behind his knees. Had he been any stronger, Bardock would have fallen over. Instead he barely stumbled and instinctively turned on his heel and kicked Raditz in the stomach. The kid yelped and darted out of sight to another part of the unit.

"Little shit," Bardock mumbled. Satisfied that Raditz would probably stay out of sight for the rest of the evening until Gine returned, Bardock stepped into the kitchen. Raw meat was on the counter with a butcher's knife stuck into a chopping block next to it. Apparently Raditz could prepare food and had been in the middle of it when Bardock had entered. Not one to bother cooking his own food, Bardock grabbed the raw meat and snacked on it as he searched for anything else.

A few hours later he had emptied the pantry and was halfway through the icebox when his scouter blipped and he felt an icy glare on his back. Tail bushed up, he stood up straight and turned around to see Gine at the entrance of the unit, her own tail lashing in the air. Raditz scurried behind her legs from his hiding place under a chair and gave Bardock a smirk that made him want to punch his son in the face.

"Bardock, what do you think you're doing?" Gine asked sweetly.

Bardock couldn't answer since he currently had a fruit the size of a fist in his mouth. He'd been gone for eight months and doing what he'd normally do after a mission. Usually Gine was ecstatic to see him. What was going on?

"He's taking all the food, mama!" Raditz barked. He bowed his head a little and gave her a dejected look. "I tried to get him to leave but he beat me…"

" _Beat_ you?"

Bardock swallowed the fruit whole and pointed at Raditz. "Oh, that's fucking _bullshit_ , I only kicked him!"

" _ **Kicked**_ him?" Gine's glare darkened and she was now walking towards him, each step seemed to be surrounded by a malevolent aura Bardock never thought he'd associate with his mate.

' _What the hell happened when I was gone?'_

He stood his ground as if facing an opponent, not giving her an inch even when she grabbed the front of his armor. Gine may be special to him but there was no way in hell he was going to be pushed around by her.

"Bardock. That's _Raditz_. He's our son."

He scoffed. "I figured that out, Gine."

Her grip tightened and he thought he heard his armor creak from the force. For some reason that made his body warm and he leaned forward a little to glare back into Gine's eyes with a challenging smirk.

"You _do not_ kick your children!"

"People would kick me _all_ the time when I was a brat," Bardock said, rolling his eyes. "He's my breed, Gine, he can take it."

She looked ready to slap him but was distracted by Raditz's soft question,

"I'm his son?"

Gine's expression softened and she released Bardock, turning to their child. "Yes, dear heart, this is your papa, Bardock. He was on a mission for a while and now he's back."

Raditz squinted at Bardock for a minute and then snorted, turning away and crossing his pudgy arms. "I don't like him, he's an ass."

Bardock's eye twitched. "You attacked first, brat."

"You trespassed! That was a challenge! You challenged me!"

"The hell I did! Why the fuck would I challenge a ball of hair?"

"I'm not a ball of hair!"

"That's enough!" Gine shouted. "Raditz, hush now! Get ready for dinner. _Bardock_ why are you picking a fight with a child? You should know better!"

Bardock gave her a disbelieving look. "Gine, what the hell, I wasn't picking a fight! I walked in and the kid attacked 'cause he didn't know who I was! He's lucky I didn't kill him for striking me!"

" _Bardock!_ "

"Fuck, you know what I mean!" He paused and then shook his head. "We're Saiyans! We're supposed to fight anyway! Why the hell is this an argument? Hell, you should be proud he tried fighting me!"

"Are _you_ proud?" she snapped. "Did you hit him because you were _so_ proud of him or because all you think of is beating up people?"

Bardock's head was beginning to throb. He _hated_ prolonged one-on-one social interactions of any kind and usually he could at least handle it with Gine but this argument was _stupid_ and stupid was _exhausting_. He scowled at his mate and pushed past her to the door to leave.

"Bardock? Where are you going?" She sounded angry but there was also some worry in there.

Bardock put his hand on the doorknob and hesitated. He wasn't sure how much of Gine he could take if she was like this. He had no idea that having a brat would cause such a dramatic change in her behavior towards _him_. What he did know was that he definitely needed peace and quiet and he couldn't get that in his house right now. He glanced back at her, almost crumbling when he saw the panicked expression on her face.

"I'll be back," he sighed, opening the door and flying away.


	2. Chapter Two

Raditz was glad to see the older Saiyan leave. One, because he didn't like him. Two, because it looked like his mother didn't like him that much either. He watched from another room as Gine shut the door that Bardock had left wide open when he retreated. She turned around and leaned her back against the door, sighing and putting her face in her hands. Raditz felt a twinge of worry. He'd never seen her like that before.

"Mama?"

Gine looked up and gave him a gentle smile. "Oh, Raditz." She beckoned at him with her arms and he quickly hopped into them. "How was your day?"

His tail twitched in the air and he pouted at her. "It was fine until _he_ came! I was making food and he came in and I tried to fight him and he kicked me!" He avoided looking at her face, ashamed to admit the last part. "I had to retreat. It really hurt."

She shifted him to one arm and stroked his hair with her free hand. "Sometimes retreating is the smart thing to do. Bardock is really powerful."

"I'll beat him next time!"

At that, she giggled and he scowled. "Your papa is one of the strongest Saiyans I know," she said. "I don't think you're quite ready to face him yet."

"What if he comes back?"

She looked surprised. "Of course he's coming back. This is his home too."

Raditz's eyes widened. "He's going to _live_ here? But I don't like him!"

"Raditz! None of that. That's your papa! This is his home just as it is yours."

"But _you_ don't like him!"

"I happen to love your papa very much. We only had a disagreement. I don't think we'll be seeing eye-to-eye when it comes to fighting in this house."

Raditz's tail lashed behind him, only one word sticking out to him. "I want to fight him!"

"Oh, for goodness sake," Gine said, shaking her head. "I guess you'll be taking after him… That's probably a good thing. Dinner first, then we'll train."

* * *

Bardock landed in the middle of a random road bustling with activity. Not much had changed in the few months he had been gone and he was not the only one returning home. Other Saiyans crowded the area, their loud boisterous voices hammering into Bardock's ears, irritating him more than he already was. A glance to his left gave him an explanation as to why everyone was being so loud. He'd landed near a tavern and Saiyans were drinking to their comrades' return. He was sure it wouldn't be long until a brawl broke out from their overindulgence and Bardock honestly didn't feel like being a part of one right now. Those fights were pointless if his opponent wasn't at one hundred percent mentally.

Still, he knew that a good number of intoxicated Saiyans would want to fight him so he made a move to leave this area.

"Hey, Bardock!"

Grimacing, Bardock turned around to face his long-time comrade, Tora. He didn't get a chance to say anything since Tora's arm draping around him roughly knocked the breath out of him. He rolled his eyes at Tora's loud laugh. His comrade was drinking already.

"What are you doing out here?" Tora said, shaking him a little. "The night's just started. I figured you'd be with Gine!"

Bardock shrugged his arm off and huffed, giving his friend a onceover to see how much he'd have to say. Unfortunately, Tora wasn't completely drunk yet so he'd be sober enough to grill him for more details.

"My kid came out of incubation when I was gone."

Tora's eyes lit up and he raised a mug. "No shit? Congratulations! May the gods grant him the strength and courage of his father, eh?"

Bardock ignored the blessing and leaned against the wall of a housing unit on the other side of the tavern. "Tch, brat's a menace and I'm pretty sure he drove Gine insane while I was gone."

Tora chugged down the contents of his mug and tossed it away, raising an eyebrow. Slowly, his face widened into a grin. "Let me guess, you had a run-in with the kid before she could properly introduce you two."

"How the hell-"

"You should know more than anyone that brat's are vicious things. I think I still have a scar from where _you_ bit me and you were what, nine? You know brats can be more violent than us." Tora jerked a thumb at the rooftops of the housing units where Bardock noticed for the first time some orphaned Saiyan kids were lurking. They ducked when he made eye contact with them, eyes glittering in the light of the flickering fire from some lanterns. "Take those scraps for example. Earlier a whole pack of them tried picking a fight with Fasha for some babaya jerky she took out of storage. They went straight for her tail and almost kicked her ass."

Bardock smirked. "Don't let her hear you say that."

"Anyway, what'd you do?"

"Kicked him. _Once_. Brat whined like I beat him within an inch of his life."

"That all? Gine'll forgive you for that. You don't have to be pissy about it."

"I'm not… _pissy_."

"You look pretty pissy. Why else wouldn't you be back home with her? You've been crying about wanting to see her for _weeks_."

The statement almost made Bardock punch him. "Like hell I did! I never even mentioned her!"

"Please, we all know what you're thinking when you look up at the sky after a mission." Bardock felt his face heat up and was relieved it was too dark for Tora to see any sign of his embarrassment. He looked away anyway, just in case. Tora just chuckled and dropped it. "Hey, you know Gine. She's got a soft heart and is probably just very protective of your kid. What's his name, anyway?"

"Uh… Raditz."

"Good name. Is it from Gine's side?"

"I don't know, probably? Sure as hell ain't from my side."

Tora suddenly snapped his fingers. "Shit, that reminds me. Gine's old man, Arlic? He died a few weeks ago. Wasn't even in battle, poor bastard."

Bardock's eyes widened. "Is _that_ why Gine's a fucking mess?"

Tora shrugged. "No idea. You know how their breed's mind works better than me."

He wished _someone_ had told him about this before he had come back home. Gine didn't like purging planets because of the kills they'd make and when a personal member of their squad was killed in combat she'd take it hard. Bardock could only imagine how she'd reacted when she found out her father, the one who _raised_ her, was dead.

"I gotta go back," Bardock sighed.

Tora hummed softly and shrugged, probably understanding that this was due to one of Gine's quirks. "Alright. Give us a heads up when you want to head out again."

Bardock turned away when Tora marched back into the tavern and hesitated. If he was going back home after their argument, he should probably bring something to Gine (as a peace offering, not an apology). Food would be best. He _had_ almost cleared their stash.

He didn't have any credits on hand at the moment so he wouldn't be able to purchase anything. Either he'd have to hunt or snag something from another Saiyan. He didn't particularly mind stealing (he'd done it all the time as a brat) and it wasn't looked down upon if you won it so he looked around at the Saiyans who were wandering outside the tavern or heading home.

Two Saiyan brutes were sitting outside on a table just outside the tavern with two brown burlap sacks underneath, looking seconds from passing out. He smirked and approached without them noticing, quickly slamming both of their heads down onto the table, knocking them out and causing a few observing Saiyans to burst out laughing. When he was sure they were out cold, he reached under the table and pulled up one of the sacks, pleased to see it did carry food of some sort. As he bent down to retrieve the other one, a hand grabbed his tail with an iron grip, sending a shocking pain up his entire spine.

Bardock stiffened and clenched his fist, swallowing the cry of pain he almost let out. He'd _trained_ his tail. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough that he wasn't rendering completely helpless. Letting out a breath, he slowly drew himself up to full height and faced the one who _dared_ to grab his tail.

It was a female Saiyan who towered over him by at least two feet. When he met her eyes, she released his tail from her grip, giving him a disdainful glare. There weren't many Saiyans in this town but Bardock was sure he'd never seen her around before. He was about to ask her what her damn problem was but she cut him off.

"How pathetic," she said, sneering down at him and the sack he hadn't noticed he dropped. It's contents had fallen in the dirt, ticking him off even further.

Bardock scowled at her, tail tight around his waist. "The hell did you say, bitch?"

She chuckled and tapped the button on her scouter. "Power level of 2,402. Such an _insufficient_ power level. Do you really think you can afford to get on my bad side?"

' _Shit. Middle-class soldier. She's not from around here, that's for damn sure.'_

His eye twitched. He didn't have a scouter so he wouldn't be able to read this Saiyan's power level, but now that he got a good look at her armor he could see she was a much higher rank than him. If 2,402 was a low power level to her, that meant she _had_ to be a middle-class soldier. You had to be born in the middle-class and there was only a handful of those and they _all_ worked for the royal family. It was possible she was bluffing since she saw he wasn't carrying his scouter but that wasn't a chance he wanted to take.

"These your comrades?" he asked gruffly, nudging one of the unconscious Saiyans with his boot.

She laughed. "Please, like I'd associate with these drunken fools."

' _Then why the hell are you here? Go back to your damn palace.'_

"What do you want?" Bardock managed to ask, his voice straining to remain civil, even as his tail still throbbed in pain. He couldn't help but notice that the other Saiyans around them, some intoxicated, others not, had gone silent and were watching them. Bardock hadn't expected a fight today but there was no way in hell he was going to back down if she directly challenged him.

"At the palace we often have to stop you low-class trash from stealing food. I saw you attack and then reach for their pitiful scraps of food and grabbed you on impulse." She raised an eyebrow at the food that had fallen in the dirt. "I forget how pitiful the quality of food is down here. If I'd known you were scavenging for garbage I wouldn't have interfered at all."

Bardock bared his teeth. Nobody had dared insult him like that since he was a child. Nowadays he was one of the top third-class Saiyans in the area and the only reason people would challenge him was to have the privilege to say they got their ass kicked by him.

"Then I think your business here is done," he said, flexing his fingers. He wouldn't be the first to strike. He wasn't a moron.

She looked almost disappointed that he hadn't attacked her yet. Finally, she shrugged and walked away, making sure to step on the food that had spilled out of the bag before taking off and flying towards the royal palace. Bardock huffed and scowled at her from the distance. The other Saiyans around him slowly began to regain their liveliness and the event was quickly forgotten. When she was out of view, he looked down at the food on the ground.

Insulted or not, he'd be damned if he let the food go to waste. He shoved the food that was still intact back into the sack and tugged at the drawstring to close it. Ignoring the eyes of the other Saiyans on his back, he threw both sacks over onto his shoulder and flew straight home.

This time when he reached the door he didn't hesitate to push it open and see his wife in son in the middle of the room. Raditz had immediately stopped whatever he had been doing to glare at him. Bardock glared back, taking pleasure in the way he managed to get Raditz's tail bushed up. Still, the kid didn't back down right away, most likely because this time he had his mother with him.

"Bardock," Gine said, sounded so relieved that he was almost more insulted than he'd been by the middle-class soldier.

"I _said_ I'd be back," he said gruffly. He pulled the sacks off of his shoulder and lowered them to the ground. "Here, I brought stuff to refill your pantry. Some of it met the dirt, though, so I'll just let you deal with that yourself."

That seemed to cheer her up and even Raditz looked content. Gine made a gesture at Raditz and he scampered off into another room. The bathing quarters, Bardock believed. Gine heaved the sacks up and onto a table, dumping out its contents and observing them. Luckily it was only the fruits and vegetables that had fallen in the dirt and she was able to clean those up quickly. The other bag contained grains and two wrapped packages of meat she stored in their icebox.

Bardock watched her quietly, waiting for her to say anything to him. He didn't like to start the conversations but if he didn't things would get awkward and awkward was irritating. She was already almost done, wiping the table and countertop with an old cloth.

"I, uh… I heard about Arlic. Your old man," Bardock said gracelessly. He wanted to punch himself in the face.

Gine stiffened, her grip on the cloth suddenly tight. Her hands trembled for a second and then her form relaxed and she looked at him from over her shoulder with sad eyes and a smile.

"Yeah, a few weeks after Raditz came out of incubation." Gine looked down at the cloth she was holding and dropped it on the counter. "It wasn't in battle. It was something with his heart. The medics tried explaining it to me that it was a kind of disease but the other Saiyans say it was because he was a Soft Heart."

Bardock sneered. " _Who said that_?" he growled. "I'll kill them."

Gine said nothing at first and then walked towards him, reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck in a loose hug. "It's not important, Bardock. I know it's not true."

"They wouldn't have said _shit_ if I was here."

She laughed lightly. "Of course not. Spare them your wrath, please." He grunted grouchily, tail lashing behind him as Gine kissed his chin. "Showing some kindness won't kill you."

It could, actually. In several different ways. Any other day and he'd gladly list them, but seeing as her father was dead and she'd been left alone to grieve with her child it probably wasn't a good idea at the moment. Bardock huffed and rested his chin on top of her head, allowing her to pull him into a tighter embrace. He appreciated these small, quiet moments and he was willing to allow Gine to indulge in her desire for friendly physical contact in exchange.

"Mama?"

Bardock immediately pulled away from her to snap his attention to the voice. It was Raditz, of course, but it was still a voice he wasn't quite used to. Gine's fingers traced down his arm and squeezed his own for a brief second and then she faced their son, smiling at him gently.

Raditz was glaring at them with an expression Bardock quickly identified as jealousy. He couldn't help the smug feeling that rose in his chest and he smirked, causing the brat's glare to darken. His hair was dripping with water from his bath, reminding Bardock that Raditz was still technically a baby. It took a lot to get an adult Saiyan's hair out of shape, but a brat's hair was different. The strands were thin and lighter, much more prone to entrapping debris and becoming a mess of tangles. Hair like Raditz's would probably need a lot of care before it stiffened up as he got older.

"You all done?" Gine asked, approaching him.

Raditz nodded, glare vanishing.

"Alright, let's go get those tangles out."

Bardock watched with amusement as Gine led their son away to presumably brush his hair. He decided to spend his own time out on the roof of their unit and join Gine in bed once she was finished.

When he swung himself up onto the roof through the window, he was greeted with a burst of cool air. Night had completely fallen, causing the temperature on their desert planet to drop. A few lanterns lit the town but with the amount of stars filling the sky they were almost unnecessary. Bardock stretched and laid down, arms behind his head as the cool air bit at his skin and stared up at the sky, thinking of his next mission.

Originally, he had planned to set off after a quick visit to Gine but his promise to her that he'd train their son might change things. He was fairly certain his team wouldn't want to wait around for however long it took to get the kid in fighting form so it was likely that they'd do a few missions without him. Though, yes, Bardock would rather be out getting things done and rising in ranks, he supposed he could stand staying planet-side for a few weeks. Raditz _was_ his breed. There had to be some good fighting instinct in there somewhere.

A sudden scuffle a few minutes later caught his attention and he sat up instantly to find its source. A couple of house units down was one of the Saiyan scraps. Apparently, he had mistimed a jump from one rooftop to another and had almost fallen before scrambling back up. Bardock watched quietly as he regained his balanced and continued on his way towards a group of other orphaned Saiyans.

The scraps were running across the rooftops in the distance and Bardock faintly remembered doing the same thing himself when he was young. It made attacking and stealing food much easier if you didn't know how to fly and adult Saiyans were not too eager to destroy their own homes to pursue them. Still, being a young scrap was dangerous. Not all Saiyans were like he, Gine and Tora. Others would gladly kill them to free the town from pests.

Raditz was fortunate he had not one, but _two_ adults looking after him.

' _Huh. I'm looking after someone.'_

Sure, he had looked after Gine, but not in _this_ sense. There was a young Saiyan below him that was pretty much a blank slate. No real life experiences yet. Bardock would be one of the beings in charge of shaping Raditz into the man he'd be in the future.

His stomach turned and he grinded his teeth. _Shaping_ someone up was weird. He'd come into the whole mating business because he thought all he'd have to do was train the kid to fight, but remembering his encounter with the middle-class soldier and looking at the scraps, realizing they'd be shaped up by their hostile environment made him realize that being a father might involve more than just fighting. If he denied that then Raditz would be shaped by only Gine and he'd be sent off to meet other people that were decidedly more… _Saiyan_ and the kid would be out of his league. Hell, if he was to face off against a middle-class soldier… his kid was as good as dead.

Another burst of cool air blew past him, ruffling his hair.

' _Ok, fuck this, it's cold.'_

Bardock slid back into his house and was pleased to see Gine was already in bed, more than enough space for him at her side. He approached the bed and saw her bury her face deeper into her pillow, a hint of a smile barely visible. Carefully, he lifted the covers and made a move to slid under it.

His leg bumped something small and warm. Something most definitely _not_ Gine. He jolted back and lifted the covers higher to see what had invaded his half of the bed. The first thing he saw was the hair and he scowled.

The _brat_ was in his bed.

Barely giving it a thought, Bardock pulled Raditz out from under the covers by his leg and tossed him to the other side of the room with a growl.

"What are you doing?" Gine shouted, jumping out of the bed to reach Raditz who was looking ruffled and confused. He hung from her arm, tail swaying lazily as he began to wake up properly.

"He is _not_ sleeping with us!" Bardock snapped.

Gine sat on the ground, holding Raditz closer and looking him over for any injuries. The child seemed to have realized what was going on and clutched onto her, glaring at Bardock viciously.

"He's never slept on his own, before!"

She said this as if it was a valid excuse but Bardock could only curl his lip in disgust. "You've got to be kidding me. He slept alone for three years! The unit has another room for a reason!" Raditz snuggled into Gine's chest and she held him even tighter, an action that made something in Bardock burn. "Stuff like this is going to make him weak, Gine! He can't cling to you forever!"

"It's only been a few months-"

"When I was his age I slept outside alone with an empty stomach. If he's going to be a Saiyan warrior he can't expect these comforts! Frieza's forces barely even supply them. You're spoiling him!"

"He's my son, Bardock! I'm not going to force him to do things he doesn't want to!"

Bardock stepped forward and ripped Raditz from her grip by the arm. Raditz immediately struggled against him, using his free hand to try and claw at Bardock. No matter how hard he scratched or bit him, Bardock's grip didn't loosen and he carried him away. At first he wanted to throw his son outside, but that was something he was sure Gine wouldn't forgive. Instead, he settled for tossing Raditz on the bare, dusty bed in the room next to theirs. Without a word, he slammed the door shut and faced Gine who was in the hall, glaring at him with eyes full of tears.

Bardock grinded his teeth to try and find the right words so she'd stop _looking_ at him like that. "I'm serious. You should know how Saiyans are, how the rest of us are. If he grows up thinking that _that_ 's normal, he's going to be weak." He jerked a hand to a window facing the homes of all the other Saiyans. "Weakness can get you killed out there! You should know because if it wasn't for me, you'd have been dead because of _your_ weaknesses years ago!"

Gine wiped at her eyes with the back of her arm furiously. "That's what this is all about. You don't want him to be like me."

He kept his voice firm. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

She didn't say anything for a minute as she stared at him and then sighed. "He wants to fight, you know. You don't have to worry about that part." Her arms wrapped around herself and she leaned against the door to Raditz's room, wincing when she heard him banging against it. The housing units were created with Saiyans in mind and it would be difficult for a child to break through. "You said… you said you'd train him, right?"

Bardock stepped closer and bumped her side gently. "Yeah, I will. He'll get strong. He'll need to be if he wants to spar with me proper."

"He's your breed, so I'm sure he will," Gine said. She focused on the door for a minute and then surprised Bardock by opening it before he could stop her.

Radit leaped into her arms in a blur of movement. Gine took a deep breath and held him further from her, causing him to look at her curiously. To Bardock's annoyance, he looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"Dear heart, I know this is sudden but… you need to sleep there now. That is _your_ room and your bed," Gine said.

Raditz's mouth dropped open in surprise. A second later, it snapped closed and he gave Bardock an accusing glare. "Is it because of _him_?"

"No, no," Gine said. "It's because if we keep sharing such a small bed together, you won't get any bigger. You need to have space to _grow_ or else you won't get strong." She lowered her head closer to his face to whisper. "How else are you going to get stronger than your papa?"

Bardock scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Then why does _he_ get to sleep with you?"

"He's not going to sleep with me." Bardock jerked in surprised. "Your papa is a big, grown man. He'll be sleeping outside, won't you, Bardock?"

"Wha-"

She silenced him with a glare, causing him to realize she was probably sore about the way he had handled Raditz earlier when he had shut him in his room. Scowling, Bardock watched as she carried Raditz back into his room and shook the dust off of the bed, placing him on it with some detachment. Her hand went through his hair affectionately as they bid each other goodnight.

He couldn't help but feel a little jealous when the only goodnight Gine gave _him_ was a finger pointing out the window.


	3. Chapter Three

As soon as Gine left the room, Raditz leaped off of the bed and pressed his ear against the door of his room to listen for anything his parents might say to each other. Not a word was exchanged. Instead, all he heard was footsteps going down the hall and then the door to his mother's room opening and shutting. Slowly, he reached up and placed his hand on the handle of his door, tugging it down until he heard a click of it opening. Gine hadn't locked it.

If Bardock wasn't going to be in the same bed as his mother than he wouldn't know if Raditz snuck back in with her. Raditz was _positive_ his mother wouldn't kick him out of bed herself. With a tiny smirk he swung the door open and stuck his head out to make sure the coast was clear.

Only for the door to be shut from the other side so quickly it hit him in the face.

He fell back, clutching his face in silent pain, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. It _hurt_!

The door opened again and to his horror, Bardock walked in. He looked angry and had his arms crossed, the tip of his tail twitching irritably.

"And _where_ the hell did you think you were going?" he asked coldly.

"Uh…" Raditz's eyes darted around the dark room and then focused on the towering Saiyan in front of him. It almost looked as though Bardock had grown in size in the few minutes that Gine wasn't here at Raditz's side. "Um… I… Wait, what are you doing inside? Mama said you'd be outside!"

Bardock sneered. "She said I'd _sleep_ outside. I ain't asleep."

Raditz scowled at him. The older Saiyan would have to fall asleep eventually, right? Once he did that he'd have to listen to Gine and go outside. He'd wait him out then. Raditz stubbornly sat down in front of Bardock, refusing to crawl back into the dusty bed behind him. Bardock's eyebrow twitched but he didn't move to try and put him to bed. He just… stood there.

And stared.

Glared, really.

Raditz could feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He really didn't like the way his ' _papa_ ' glared at him like that. Gine wasn't here this time and even if she was, who said she'd be able to make him stop? She already had him in this room alone on Bardock's order and Bardock himself simply dodged _her_ order by staying awake instead of sleeping outside. He shifted his position and almost felt himself shrink as Bardock's eyes followed the subtle movement.

It was eerie and Raditz felt his resolve slip away. He wouldn't be able to stand that stare the whole night.

Raditz swallowed and stood up quietly, turning around to face his room. He knew Bardock was still watching him and went to the wall separating him from Gine. With a shuddering breath he curled up next to it, shivering just a little from how surprisingly cold it was. When his body got used to the temperature he finally shut his eyes and, comforted by the thought that his mother was right next door, drifted to sleep.

* * *

"Oh, _no_ , Raditz…"

Raditz opened his eyes drowsily at the voice. His hand stretched out next to him to feel for the familiar warmth of his mother but met nothing. Blinking the sleep away, he looked around the room to see strange surroundings. Eventually, last night caught up with him and his head whipped towards the doorway where his mother, Gine, was standing.

He ran into her arms without a word, trembling from head to toe. She held onto him tightly, whispering comforting words he wasn't really paying attention to; just her voice was enough.

A throat was cleared next to them and Raditz glared over at it.

 _Bardock_.

To his delight, Gine took one look at the man and then turned away from him, nose in the air. Bardock just scoffed in response and gave Raditz a dirty look as if blaming him for Gine snubbing him. Unable to resist, Raditz wrinkled his nose and stuck his tongue out at him.

"You little-!"

A hand was swiped towards him but Gine saw it and ducked him out of harm's way.

" _Bardock!_ "

"That little shit-"

"He is a _child_."

Bardock's hand was clenched into a tight fist and his eyes shut for a second. Finally, he took a deep breath and straightened his back, crossing his arms in front of him.

"Tch, not worth it…"

Gine smirked and adjusted her grip on Raditz so that she was holding him in one arm. She shut the door to his room and walked out to the kitchen. To Raditz's surprise, food had already been set out on the table, much more than had ever been there before. It looked almost double of what Gine usually prepared with him and he wondered how in the world she prepared all of it without him waking up.

"We usually make it together," Raditz muttered disappointedly.

"I had to wake up earlier to make your papa's share," Gine explained. She placed him on a chair and bumped him gently. "Don't worry, Papa will make his own food most of the time while he's here."

Raditz pouted, but the amount of food in front of him was quick to cheer him up. Most of their usual food was there but scattered around were fruits and vegetables that he'd never seen before. They were probably the few items Bardock had brought last night. He reached for them and stuffed them in his mouth out of spite. If _he_ chose them then he must have liked them and Raditz had no intention of letting him enjoy his stay here.

Unfortunately, Bardock didn't seem to notice what he grabbed and simply sat down across from him, eating whatever was in front of him without a word. Gine sat at the side, shoveling food in her mouth eagerly and not paying the two of them much mind. Raditz found it almost insulting that his attempts at ruining Bardock's breakfast were being ignored. He reached further towards the food closer to Bardock, though he had to climb on the table to do so, and swiped a plate that was in front of him.

Bardock's eyes flicked towards him for the briefest moment… then back at his own food again as if Raditz had stolen nothing.

Raditz's tail lashed. _'Say something! Do something!'_

"Aren't you going to eat more?" Gine asked.

Both of his parents were already halfway through with their food while he had been busy just collecting any items that he thought Bardock liked. Feeling left behind, he quickly began stuffing his face. Gine finished off just a few minutes later and was clearing some of the mess while Bardock and Raditz continued eating. To Raditz's mounting horror, Bardock had seemed to have technically finished his share… and was now reaching for _his_ food!

"Hey!" Raditz snapped when Bardock's hand had flashed in front of him and snatched a leg of some animal or another. The meat was devoured in a second. "You can't-"

A plate of rolls was swiped away from him before he could finish complaining.

"No, that's-"

The sausages.

"Stop!" He tried biting Bardock's hand but the older Saiyan was far too quick.

Ribs.

"Mama!"

Gine looked over in time to see Bardock steal a large purple egg Raditz had tried hiding. Before she could say anything, he had already cracked a hole into the egg and was holding it above his head, letting yolk slip into his mouth. Raditz glared at him jealously, face red and tears forming at the corner of his eyes. Gine wasn't doing anything to stop him.

" _Mama_ -"

"You have to eat faster… _and_ keep an eye on your food," Gine said, though she was giving Bardock a disapproving look. "It's a valuable lesson, especially when you're older and on the field."

"He's ruining my life!"

"You're three, Raditz."

"I haven't even started ruining it," Bardock said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand when he finally finished the egg. "I knew a three-year-old that died once."

Gine's eye twitched and she let out a long breath of air. "What your papa means is, there are a lot of other Saiyan children who do not have the privilege of knowing who both their parents are. You should appreciate them and the knowledge and experience they bring because you never know when they could be taken out of your life. Right, _papa_?"

Bardock stared at her for a second and then cleared his throat. "Yeah. Sure, that's exactly what I meant."

Gine looked back down at Raditz. "I'd like you to keep that in mind when you're with him today. Ok, dear heart?"

"You're leaving me with _him_?" Raditz yelped. "I don't know him!"

Gine put a hand to her face and took a deep breath, then lowered it and gave him a strained smile. "He's your papa, Raditz. You'll have to get to know him eventually. Now is better than never."

She ruffled his hair gently with her hand and then gave him a nudge in Bardock's direction. Raditz pouted and gave his mother a pleading look.

"Can't I go with you to work for once?"

"Not a chance, Raditz. I'm going to be far too busy working to make sure you don't eat everything."

"I promise I won't!"

Gine gave him a look that said she sincerely doubted that that. Raditz pouted and she turned her attention to his father.

"Since you're back we need to alert the goods distribution of the extra member in this household so we can have a good amount of food coming in," Gine said. "I heard Frieza has been tightening the rations on the planets in this sector. I hope the rumors aren't true but if they are…"

"It won't be a problem. I'll transfer my information and credits right now," Bardock said. He stood up and placed his scouter on his face, pushing the button on the side a few times. Gine leaned forward and touched his chest, recapturing his attention.

"Stay with him and try to get to know each other, alright?" Gine ran her thumbs along the collar of his armor. "If you'd like, get some training in. He knows the basics and he's been dying to fight his papa."

Raditz scowled when Bardock grunted and nodded. He didn't want to be trained by _him_!

Gine waved goodbye to both of them and left the housing unit. The silence between the two was deafening but Raditz couldn't think of anything to say. Bardock rubbed the back of his neck and then glanced at their kitchen. Immediately, Raditz stiffened.

"You better not be thinking of eating all our food again!" Raditz shouted. "Mama is going to have to work more to feed you too since you're so fat!"

Bardock's eye twitched. "Look at who the hell is talking."

Raditz's tail flicked. " _I'm_ a baby. This will turn into muscle when I get older." He gave his father a disdainful look and recalled something his mother had said about herself a while back. "You? I don't know… It might be hard to lose all that weight at your age…"

His father looked at a loss for words. "…Are you sure you're three? You have the mouth of a cursed teenager." He shook his head to himself. "I'm in my prime, hairball. I may not know _exactly_ how old I am but I know for a damn fact I'm at peak condition."

Raditz didn't really know what that meant so he just stuck his tongue out at him in reply.

Bardock was in front of him in a second, holding Raditz's tongue between his thumb and forefinger, glaring at him darkly. "Stick that thing out at me again and I'll rip it off and wear it around my neck as a souvenir after I gut you, got it, brat?"

Too terrified that his tongue would get ripped off if he nodded, Raditz made a muffled affirmative sound, tail bushed up twice its size. With a smirk, Bardock released him, pinching Raditz's hair to wipe his fingers of saliva. He then pat him mockingly and went towards the door leading outside. This alarmed Raditz since his father had agreed to train him under his mother's request. Had he lied? Not that Raditz _wanted_ to train with him, but he didn't think he'd like it if he knew Bardock lied to his mother.

"Where are you going?" Raditz asked. He wished he had sounded just a little more demanding, but he could still almost feel Bardock's grip on his tongue.

"Out," Bardock replied with a shrug. "C'mon."

That was unexpected. "Uh… I…" Bardock raised an eyebrow. "I've… Mama says I can't go out yet."

"Well, Pa-" Bardock shook his head like he was just disgusted with himself. He cleared his throat. " _I_ say you're coming with me. I'm not staying cooped up in here all day. What kind of Saiyan doesn't go outside?"

"A little one," Raditz muttered, still uncertain. He _did_ always want to go out. His mother had said _no_ though…

"A weak one," Bardock corrected. Raditz's tail twitched. He wasn't _weak_. "You're not weak, are you? Shouldn't be. You're supposed to be my breed. Stay if you want, I don't really give a fuck."

Raditz hesitated as his father left the house, then ran forward before the door could swing completely shut. Bardock smirked at him when he saw how panicked he looked for a brief second then leaned against the house and gave Raditz a minute to look at his new surroundings.

Since he was just outside the door, the area looked almost exactly as it did from the window. When Raditz looked up, he was able to see the entirety of the red sky, a few clouds dotting it but doing nothing to shield them from the two bright and powerful suns.

"Tch, you really haven't gone out, huh?" Bardock asked, observing him still. He crossed his arms and frowned. "Gine's too damn protective. Guess I can't blame her… Arlic being dead and all. Still, I would've at least snuck out if I was your age. You must be pretty cowardly, that'd explain a lot too."

Raditz scowled and crossed his arms so that he almost mirrored Bardock. His father snorted in response and shook his head, a tiny smirk on his face. He pushed himself off the wall and gestured at a wide building down the dirt road.

"Let's get something to eat. I'm starving."

Raditz blinked in surprise. "We just ate breakfast," he said. _'You ate most of my breakfast!'_

Bardock arched an eyebrow. "You tellin' me you're full?"

He shook his head quickly. Raditz could _always_ eat more, but Gine had said there was only so much food they could keep so they'd only eat until they were satisfied, not full.

"Good. We fight better on a full stomach."

He had to run to keep up with Bardock's long strides and it was difficult to get a look around and watch where he was going at the same time. More than once he'd bump into the older Saiyan. The first time it happened, Bardock had almost tripped. After that, Raditz would have to avoid getting trampled if he dared get tangled between Bardock's legs again.

The building had no door, just a large, curved opening in the wall so that you were able to get a good look inside if you were passing by. As they got closer, Raditz could smell the different spices and hear the sizzling of meat, making his mouth water. A part of him wanted to go ahead of Bardock and run inside but from his position he could see a couple dozen of other much large Saiyans inside and he didn't want to approach them alone. To his surprise, he saw some Saiyan brats peering inside as well, though threatening gestures from the adults inside kept them at bay.

"How come they can't go in?" Raditz couldn't help but ask.

Bardock's head tilted towards the brats. "No credits." He tapped at his scouter. "You gotta pay to eat here. I can transfer mine from my scouter."

Bardock passed the brats and went through the opening, Raditz at his heels, glancing over at the other Saiyans children who glared at him jealously. Raditz almost felt bad for them but at the same time he thought it was pretty cool that he could get food if he was with Bardock.

Inside was more spacious than it looked from the outside so it could fit several Saiyans and the amount of food they'd eat at the same time and still have enough room to walk around. The tables were much larger than their own at home and round. Several were damaged and covered with what looked like bloodstains while all the stools looked as though they'd break if you sat down on them too hard.

Raditz was so busy looking around that he hadn't noticed he had gotten separated from his father. Panicked, he looked around, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw he wasn't too far and was just trying to get a table for them. He took a step forward to join him but a boot slamming down in front of him caused him to stumble back.

An incredibly large Saiyan with a few tufts of hair around his ears and almost no teeth leered down at him, tail lashing. He looked angry and Raditz was at a complete loss of what to do. The last time he confronted another Saiyan was when it was Bardock and all he had done was kick him to make him retreat. This Saiyan was a complete stranger and looked ready to kill.

Luckily, the stranger spoke instead of immediately trying to kill him.

"Scraps aren't allowed here, brat!"

' _Scraps?'_ Was that another way to say child? Raditz didn't know. He was sure Bardock wouldn't bring him somewhere he wasn't allowed. Then again, he hadn't been allowed _outside_ -

' _Wait, Bardock!'_ Summoning whatever courage he might have, Raditz stood up and glared up at the older Saiyan, trembling.

"Back… back off!" Raditz growled. "I'm with _him_!" He jerked a finger towards Bardock who had just noticed what was happening and was stomping back towards them, sneering.

"The hell is going on here?" Bardock asked. He went to Raditz's side and used his shoulder to shove the other Saiyan back. Raditz smirked and slid behind his father.

The stranger's eyes widened and he brought his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"Shit, Bardock, I didn't know he was with you!"

Bardock already stopped paying attention to him and Raditz watched smugly as the stranger slunk away.

Bardock cuffed the back of his head. "You're a Saiyan. Use me as a damn meat shield again and I'll rip your tail out. That's nothing to be smug about, coward."

Raditz winced and rubbed the back of his head. What did _that_ mean? What was he supposed to do? It wasn't like he could take on that other Saiyan on his own, he was ten times his size! Why wouldn't he have someone else on his side fight for him? Raditz changed his mind. Bardock wasn't cool at all.

Still, he followed his father to a table he managed to procure for them and hopped onto a stool that could easily fit four of himself. Without any prompting whatsoever, two Saiyans appeared with giant plates towering with food and placed them in front of them. Raditz stared at the portions with wide eyes. Each plate was almost the size of their breakfast this morning! It didn't look nearly as neat as his and his mother's cooking but he found he didn't care. Seeing all of the food in front of him made him unbelievably hungry all of a sudden.

Bardock noticed he was waiting for him to say something and waved a hand. "Go ahe-"

Raditz stuffed the food in his cheeks with his hands, chewing rapidly and only pausing to cram more inside. Occasionally he'd swallow but it was mostly just so he could fit more into his mouth. When he managed to finish one giant plate he swallowed everything in his mouth and leaned back with a pleased squeak, tail curling and uncurling behind him.

"Tch, you eat like Gine," Bardock said, shaking his head. "She'd collapse if she didn't have at least one meal a day. At least you didn't inherit that part."

Intrigued, Raditz watched his father eat. He was not a slow eater by any means, but he didn't just shovel food in his mouth until it was full. Instead he'd put a large chunk of whatever he was eating in, chew it quickly, swallow, and then move onto the next bite. Raditz couldn't see why he ate that way when he could just stuff it all inside and get it in his stomach faster. What did taste matter when it was all going to the same place?

Bardock waved a hand and a few more plates of food were stacked between them. Eagerly, Raditz reached for more, shoveling as much as he could inside his mouth. When Raditz started on his sixth plate against Bardock's third, Bardock actually stopped eating and stared at him, looking as though he wanted to ask something but was unsure of how to ask it. After another minute of observation, he shook his head and stood up abruptly.

" _Shit_ , Gine actually meant it when she said you'd eat everything!"

Raditz took that as a cue to eat faster.

* * *

Raditz was still pouting ten minutes after Bardock had forced him to stop eating and paid for their meal. His father was currently chewing on some huge piece of jerky as they walked. Raditz could smell it and its scent was absolutely tantalizing. He had half a mind to jump and snatch it out of his hands but Bardock had cast him a glare that almost convinced Raditz he had read his thoughts.

When his father's glare shifted to some other Saiyan children tailing them from the rooftops, they scattered and disappeared amongst the buildings. Raditz was reminded of the Saiyan that had confronted him.

"…Papa?" Bardock continued walking and Raditz scowled. He spoke louder. " _Papa."_

This time Bardock stopped and then looked back at him in confusion that quickly turned into realization and then discomfort. "Uh, yeah, kid?"

"What's a scrap?"

"Huh, you don't know? It just means those brats you see running around scavenging for food. Brats with no parents and no one training them."

Raditz bit his lip, recalling what Gine had said and the dead three-year-old Bardock had mentioned. He hadn't given it much thought at the time. He had to have seen at least twenty of those kids today alone!

"What happened to their parents?"

Bardock put the last of his jerky in his mouth and chewed slowly as Raditz waited impatiently. "Different stuff. Some die. Others just ditch them before they come out of incubation."

" _Ditch_ them?" Raditz couldn't imagine Gine abandoning him.

Bardock winced and continued walking. "Damn, you talk a lot. Probably got that from Gine… Yeah. They ditch them. Training a kid takes time away from actual combat on the field. Not everyone wants to stay home like your mother, brat. We're Saiyans. Our goal is to be the strongest in the universe."

Raditz shifted uncomfortably as he followed Bardock. He wanted to fight but he hadn't really thought about how strong he wanted to be… he also hadn't thought of how many other Saiyans wanted to be strong as well. How many Saiyans would he have to fight? _How_ was he going to fight them? He was just a child and there were hundreds of Saiyans far older than him who had a head start!

"This is a good spot."

Raditz stopped and looked at where they were now. It was a clear area, a bare desert area ahead of them and scattered buildings a few meters back where they had come from. He watched uncertainly as Bardock hovered in the air and drew a large circle around them in the dirt with his boot. When he finished, he went on the opposite side of the circle to face Raditz.

"What are we doing?"

Bardock lowered himself into a fighting position, cracking his knuckles and giving his son the first grin he'd seen from him.

"We're going to train. Now."


	4. Chapter Four

Bardock was surprised to see Raditz suddenly appeared nervous. Gine had said the kid _wanted_ to fight so he'd honestly though he'd be excited to finally have the chance to or at least annoyed that he'd have to train with him. Instead, his son's tail was stiff and he was looking everywhere except at him, fingers twitching.

"Train?" Raditz repeated, as if not sure he'd heard correctly the first time.

Bardock huffed. He didn't like repeating himself, so he just nodded. He'd never trained anyone, nor had he ever been trained _by_ someone, but it couldn't be that difficult, could it? He'd learned just fine by watching and gaining experience when he was just a brat. The method worked just as well now that he was an adult. Still, Raditz wasn't looking very confident and was just shuffling his feet in the dirt now as though he didn't know what to do.

"Come at me," Bardock growled. _That_ much should've been obvious.

Raditz bit his lip and Bardock began to wonder if he had an idiot as a son.

"You _have_ been training with Gine, haven't you? You should know how to come towards a person and try to hit them!" he snapped. He stood straight and sneered at his son. "Or has all she been teaching you is how to salt meats? Wouldn't fucking surprise me."

Raditz's tail bristled and he suddenly looked angry. "She… she taught me just fine!" he said.

Bardock narrowed his eyes. "Doesn't look like it. A well-trained warrior wouldn't hesitate to test their skills. Your mother hasn't taught you shit 'cause she doesn't know crap about real fighting."

"Shut up! Mama is a real fighter!" Raditz's face was red and he looked furious, though on such a young face it just appeared pathetic. "You shouldn't say that about her! You two are mates!"

Bardock crossed his arms in front of himself and tilted his head, wondering where in the stars did Raditz get that idea. For god's sake he hoped Gine hadn't been putting them in his head as the norm. "Yeah, so? I can talk shit about _anyone_ , mate or not, brat. Especially if it's true. Your mother is weak and apparently that trait passed on to you. Can't fucking believe this… Stuck with a useless son and a more useless ma-"

His scouted beeped and Bardock brought his arm up immediately to block the punch Raditz had thrown at him and then took a step back, allowing more room for Raditz to throw a few more punches, eyeing his power level.

' _His power level only rose to 99. Tch.'_

The brat was far from fast and while his hits weren't exactly powerful, they were pretty solid. It took only a few hits for Raditz to realize he wasn't harming him in any way and his confidence apparently dropped and he slowed down, his power level dropping back to its base state. Bardock sneered and backhanded his son for his hesitance.

Raditz was thrown to the ground and curled there, hands on his face where Bardock had struck him, wincing.

"What do you think you're doing?" Bardock growled. "We're not done yet!"

Raditz's eyes bulged and he just barely managed to roll away from the spot Bardock slammed his leg down not even a moment later. The brat seemed too thrown off to adapt to what was probably a new training method to him. Bardock hadn't thought to ask Gine how she'd been training him the past few months but it hardly mattered. Raditz would need to learn how to rely on his natural fighting instincts.

Still, it looked as though they were buried a little deeper than Bardock thought. He wasn't sure if that meant he should go easy on the kid or push harder. Raditz was staring at him as though he thought he was going to kill him, an event that _could_ and _has_ happened to brats when training with adults but Bardock thought he had a pretty good grasp on his self-control.

Bardock kept his eyes locked onto Raditz, freezing him in place as he circled him. "You don't leave this ring until I say so, brat."

"R-ring?" Raditz repeated. Figures his mouth would still work while he was scared.

He gestured at the dirt where he had dug the circle with his boot. "This is a ring. Don't expect one in actual combat." It made sense Raditz didn't know about rings since he'd been training inside their house unit with Gine this whole time. He still hated having to explain this shit. "It serves as a boundary. If you run out or if I knock you out, you lose. Don't even _think_ about running out on purpose. I'll keep you here twice as long. Stand up. _Now_."

Trembling, Raditz stood up and faced him. "How d-do I win?"

"Beat your opponent or knock them out of the ring. I can guarantee you can't do either to me."

Raditz's nose wrinkled and for a second he didn't look scared. "If I can't win then why should I fight?"

Bardock couldn't believe his ears. Not even Gine had ever said anything like that. She may not have the fighting instinct or much skill, but she still wouldn't back down! He backhanded Raditz again. He'd be damned if he let his breed think like that. He'd beat it out of him if he could.

"You _fight_ because of your pride, moron!"

Raditz stayed on the ground from the strike, appearing terrified again. "I-I…"

" You do not back down from a stronger enemy when in combat! You'll be in the Frieza Force when you're older and their ships are crawling with challengers who want to rise to the top! Do you have any idea how they do it? They kill the weak who have no business being there! You give up before a fight has begun and you're dead. You give up and you'll never know if you could have beaten them! Now stand up! Face me!"

For some reason Raditz stayed on the ground, shutting his eyes and looking away from him.

' _Pathetic!'_

"To beat me, you have to get strong! To get strong, you have to fight!"

He kicked his son's huddled form, sending him flying to the edge of the ring with a yelp. Bardock rushed towards him in an instant, prepared to drag him back into the ring if he dared to try and crawl away. Raditz seemed to realize what he was thinking and sprung to the center of the ring on all fours, tail frizzed up and twisting in the air wildly. To Bardock's frustration, he was still low to the ground and he could smell tears in the air. That had to stop _now_.

Before Raditz had a chance to think, Bardock grabbed him by the front of his armor so that he hung limply. Now that the brat was only inches from his face he could see he was trembling violently with tears running down his face. Overtaken by another wave of frustration, Bardock slapped him with his free hand.

"Don't you cry, brat! Crying lets your opponent know how weak you really are!"

Raditz's eyes had shut and he struggled to escape Bardock's grip in vain. His small hands clawed at his fingers and Bardock narrowed his eyes, making sure to tighten his hold in case Raditz managed to get close to freeing himself. The struggle ended far too quickly and Raditz stared at him pleadingly, causing Bardock's anger to rise further.

"Let-Let me go! This isn't fair!"

He swung him over his head and into the ground, not loosening his hold as he crouched over him.

"No fight is going to be fair! You do not cry over it! You do not shed tears!" He pushed him harder into the ground before releasing him. "You get angry! You spill their _blood_! You are weak but you have to appear strong! Stand. Up."

Raditz whimpered. The tears had mostly stopped but the terror was still clear in his eyes.

"Stand up _now_ , brat!"

"I c-can't!"

"You can and you _will_! If you don't, I'll break all of your limbs so you'll know how it really feels when you can't do something!"

The brat buried his head into his arms and Bardock kicked him again. He rolled a few feet but still had his face covered, smothering soft whimpers. His tail was limp and lying in the dirt and Bardock had half a mind to grab it and shake him by it. That, however, might be going too far. When Raditz curled into a ball, it took everything he had not to groan and slam his head into the side of a building.

"Stand up!"

Bardock's foot made contact with Raditz's side again and this time he was determined to send the kid flying. He was confounded when instead of being sent into the air, the brat clung onto his foot. The next thing he knew, very sharp teeth dug into his boot, breaking through and pinching his skin.

"Shit!"

Instead of slamming the kid down to the ground full force like his instincts were telling him to, an action that would surely kill his son, he grabbed him with both his hands and attempted to rip him off. Each time he tugged, Raditz bit down harder as though his life depended on it. He probably thought it did. Now extremely irked, Bardock brought his fist up and aimed it directly on top of Raditz's head. It caused the teeth to dig in deeper for the briefest moment but right afterwards Raditz's mouth dropped open with a pained yelp and Bardock slapped him off of his foot like a mosquito.

"Was that all-"

Bardock was cut off by Raditz headbutting him in the stomach and knocking the air out of him. Surprised, he took a step back and when he saw Raditz lunging at him again, brought his arm up to block whatever attack the kid came up with. It went almost the same as the last time except Raditz seemed even slower, likely due to his injuries. Again, as he blocked each attack with ease, Raditz faltered. When Bardock prepared to backhand him again, Raditz saw it coming and used his last feeble attack to bounce off him and back to the edge of the ring.

Raditz was _still_ trembling and didn't seem to be in a hurry to come at him again.

" _Grow a damn_ _ **spine**_!"

His son flinched back as Bardock appeared in front of him and kicked him out of the ring. There was a barely audible crack and Bardock froze, jaw clenched as he watched Raditz crumble into a pitiful heap. His anger and frustration draining from him in almost an instant. He'd let his temper run away with him and _shit_ Gine was going to kill him if he went too far.

The kid was still clinging to consciousness and when he saw he had been thrown out, a panicked expression flashed across his face and he extended an arm to drag himself back inside. Bardock flew forward and put his boot over his hand, this time not slamming it on him as hard as he could have. He still heard the muffled whimper, though.

"Don't bother. We're done here."

Raditz stared up at him in confusion. "I didn't…"

"You didn't win," Bardock said, sneering. "You were pathetic. So pathetic that if I'd continued you'd be dead."

The brat winced and averted his eyes, appearing properly shamed. Perhaps there was hope for him yet.

"Our fight is over, but _you're_ not done."

His head snapped back towards him. "Huh?"

"You need to get back to our house unit and I sure as hell am not gonna carry you." He lifted his boot off of his hands and Raditz struggled to sit up on his knees. "Not gonna be slowed down by you either. You'll be making your way back on your own."

Raditz seemed more confused than anything. He looked towards their small town uncertainly, then back at Bardock. "You said… it'd be a fight."

"The town is littered by scraps who are dying for some of that armor you have there. You look like easy prey."

It finally seemed to click and Raditz scrambled up to his feet, a hand clutching his side over his broken rib. Bardock watched as he threw a panicked look over his shoulder. "I-I can't fight like this! You can't just leave me, there's too many of them!"

He wasn't going to leave Raditz on his own with a broken rib. In fact, he'd be keeping an eye on him the whole time and deter the strongest scraps if any of them showed up at all. Raditz, however, did not need to know this. He focused on his son's panicked expression and scoffed, looking away and then flying up back towards the town.

"Easy prey… Prove me wrong, brat."

* * *

When Bardock left, Raditz let himself fall back down onto his knees, whimpering as he placed a hand over his side which was throbbing in pain. _Everything_ was in pain. He'd never had a training session like this with Gine and thinking it over, he wasn't certain if he had even learned anything. It seemed Bardock had just taken him out here to beat him up for fun… At least, he'd think it was for fun if his father hadn't seemed to have hated every moment spent in his presence.

Wincing, Raditz looked up at the sky to see how long it'd be until his mother was home. He didn't want to walk back. He wanted to lie down and rest and then have his mother scoop him in her arms and take him home so they could sleep together where it was safe. However, judging by the sun's position in the sky, it'd be a few hours until Gine was done with her work and if Bardock was right about the other Saiyan children, it'd be best for Raditz to head home as soon as possible.

Home… where Bardock would be waiting.

Raditz's tail curled around himself. He didn't _want_ to go back to Bardock. The Saiyan was bigger and stronger than him, what would stop him from just repeating this all over again? He didn't want to be slapped or kicked around anymore, not unless he could do the same to him.

He winced again, this time for a different reason. He _could_ kick and slap Bardock. It just… didn't hurt him. He wasn't strong enough. Compared to Bardock, Raditz was weak. Nothing would stop his father from beating him during training. Reluctantly, Raditz stood up and shuffled back towards their town. He wasn't sure of where exactly he lived but he was positive he'd recognize it when he came across it if not by sight, then smell.

The first thing he noticed when he walked into town was that there were not many Saiyan brats on the ground. He knew that Saiyans didn't grow noticeably in size until they hit a growth spurt that could happen from when they were eleven to sixteen years old and even then weren't their full size until they were well into their twenties. Before that, they could only grow a few inches over the years. Raditz was only three and still incredibly small. Saiyans his age, the scraps at least, seemed to keep to the rooftops.

It wasn't difficult so see why. The other Saiyans, the adults, looked much larger and menacing than they did when he had been in the company of Bardock. Even if they didn't look directly at him, he could still feel them watching his every move as if _he_ might attack them. He determinedly kept going forward, trying to make his limp look less noticeable.

" _You are weak but you have to appear strong!"_

From the corner of his eye, Raditz spotted a few shadows cast from the rooftops dart past. He noticed they didn't continue forward. They had stopped at some point above and ahead of him. The hair on the back of his neck stood up.

" _Easy prey."_

His first thought was to go in another direction but he knew they were at full health and much faster than him. They could cut him off or worse, he'd attract the attention of more of them. His second thought was to ask one of the adult Saiyans in the area to help him home.

He had a feeling that wouldn't go over so well.

If he kept going forward then, if they really did intend to attack them, he'd be walking right into an ambush. Raditz's tail twitched as he struggled to think of what to do. Running was not an option. Neither was asking for help. A fight was inevitable…

Or…

Was it?

Raditz bit his lip and glanced over at a building next to him. It had a few wooden poles and empty containers. He took a few shorts breaths and braced himself, then hopped onto the containers and used a pole to haul himself onto the rooftop. It took everything he had not to moan or whimper in pain. Everything _hurt_. His body trembled just a little but after a while, he managed to calm himself and stand up properly. Now that he was at their level, he could see four other Saiyan brats a few meters ahead of him, watching him with guarded expressions.

He began walking towards them and a flicker of uncertainty crossed their faces. Raditz's heart thudded in his chest so hard he was scared they'd hear it and realize how afraid he was. As he got closer he was able to see that they were all barely clothed and not one of them had a scrap of armor like him. They were exposed with no protection and even though they could outmatch him if they ganged up on him, _they didn't know it for sure_. They were scraps and he was a well fed, fully clothed, healthy (though injured) Saiyan child.

This thought gave Raditz a burst of confidence as he finally stopped only five feet away from them. Two of them were standing straight, glaring at him while two others were crouched, looking at him uncertainly. Raditz decided they were most likely to flee and gave them the dirtiest glare he could and smirked when one of them slunk away. The other one sat down while glaring at him and Raditz was sure he wouldn't be getting up to attack anytime soon. He turned his attention to the other two who were still standing, tails lashing.

"You're in my way," Raditz said, making sure to keep his voice firm. Like Bardock. "Move it."

"Tch, you don't tell us what to do," one of them growled. He was taller than Raditz by a few inches and had a round belly but skinny limbs. "We were here first, runt." He sounded older too. He tried not to let that get to him.

"Move or I'll move you."

"Ha! You're outnumbered," the other one said. He was as tall as Raditz but was clearly older as well and unlike his companion, his ribs were poking out. "There's three of us and one of you, dumbass. You really think you can take us all on?"

Raditz stepped forward, projecting confidence and ignoring the throbbing at his side. "You really think you can take on _me_?"

The third Saiyan that had been sitting ducked his head and slid off the side of the building to retreat, now leaving the other two alone with Raditz. Though now there was one less than there had been before, this seemed to have just strengthened their resolve.

"Yeah, we do," one growled.

Taking that as his cue, Raditz slammed the crown of his head forward straight into his nose. The brat fell onto his back with a yelp, hands grasping at his nose which was now gushing blood. His companion looked stunned for only a moment and then lunged towards Raditz's tail. Spotting him just in time, Raditz ducked, only to stumble when the pain from his broken rib hit him again at full force from the sudden movement. He wrapped his tail around his waist and struggled to get back on his feet. He was tackled from the side by the brat with the bloody nose and they both toppled off the side of the building.

The pain almost blinded Raditz as he crashed down onto something that was definitely not the ground. His limbs scrambled underneath him to push himself forward, causing him to fall a few more feet, plates of food and drink falling with him. He heard curses and yells and saw a large hand reaching for him. Instinctively, Raditz rolled out of the way and stumbled to his feet.

He and the other brat had fallen onto an outdoor table that some other Saiyans had been dining on, spilling its contents on the ground. The brat that had tackled him landed next to him and didn't even glance at him before fleeing the scene. With angry, full grown Saiyans behind him and only one brat ahead of him, Raditz didn't have to think about it as he followed the other child's example and ran away as fast as he could.

He wasn't sure how far he ran but at some point he realized the adults were not following him and he was instead in another part of the town entirely. He stopped in the middle of the road and went to his knees, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath but with each inhale he felt a stabbing pain in his side. A few older Saiyans were nearby but didn't pay him much mind. It seemed as though they didn't notice or even care that he was struggling for breath.

The exhaustion and pain from his injuries finally took their toll and the last thing Raditz remembered before passing out was something that almost felt like hands catching him before his face met the ground.


End file.
